Disney Infinity Exec Slams Nintendo Over Amiibo Shortages

The Executive Producer of the Disney Infinity franchise had some choice words about Nintendo's insufficient supplies of amiibo figurines.

In an interview with Game Informer's Ben Hanson (transcribed by Destructoid), Disney Infinity Executive Producer John Vignocchi said what everyone was thinking pertaining to the grievances and annoyances people have encountered in trying to collect Nintendo's amiibo line. Nintendo purposely throttled down supplies and did limited runs while releasing a variety of store exclusives (at GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy,Target and more) that have made trying to get all of these figures a damn nightmare. Collecting the amiibo line has become a stressful chore with more annoyances than thrills, and the only people who seem to really enjoy Nintendo's mess are the scalpers.

Hanson: Given the turbulent release of Amiibo characters, are you doing anything to prepare for the high demand for Star Wars figures?

Vignocchi: There is never an intention to create a shortage of any figures. It is irresponsible and rude to your hardcore fans. They don’t want to create frustration or the hunt. So they will be stocking the shelves well!

Given how impossible it is to get every figure now, collectors simply continue out of obsession and habit as best as they can, trying to get whatever figures they still can while knowing there are some they'll never get. Meanwhile, Nintendo has the ability to craft more of these sold-out figures, but continues to restock its shelves with a limited selection. At the same time, Disney Infinity keeps it shelves stocked with a variety of figures, which greatly outnumber the amiibo line.

We're glad that someone in the industry is willing to address these shortages. Vignocchi knows exactly how collectors feel about Nintendo and the amiibo line. On the opposite end, Nintendo simply doesn't care. They're sitting on a gold mine and refuse to cash-in and produce more figures. This is the same company that won't put 16-bit games on the 3DS Virtual Console (mind you, the Game Boy Advance was able to run SNES ports) and refuses to produce more GameCube-Wii U adapters despite selling out instantly and being a hot item for Super Smash Bros.fans.